Monthly Archive

By Gregory Childress
Chapel Hill — Family, friends and fellow veterans of the civil rights movement on Friday remembered Mr. Yonni Chapman as an unyielding fighter for social justice and a skilled historian who embodied the very best spirit of Chapel Hill.

Mr. Chapman died Thursday after losing a lengthy battle against cancer. He was 62.

“He forced us all to reflect on this town we think of as a liberal haven,” said Town Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt. “He was often the one to open our eyes to reality.”

Braxton Foushee, a local civil rights activist, said Mr. Chapman made many lasting contributions in the fight for social justice.

“I think his biggest contribution was his history about segregation and how slavery played a part in the building of the university,” Foushee said.